Term 3, Week 2 Newsletter - 25th July 2025
| Friday, 25th July 2025 | Grandparents Day |
| Wednesday, 30th July 2025 | Catholic Education Week Mass - Penola Centre - 8:40 am |
| Friday, 8th August 2025 | Rodeo - IPRASS Day - No School |
| Sunday, 17th August 2025 | Jangawala - Good Shepherd Catholic Parish - 11:45 am |
| Friday, 22nd August 2025 | Book Week Dress Up Day |
From The Principal
Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome back to Term 3! It has certainly been a busy start to the term. I’m writing to you this week from Townsville, where my wife and I have welcomed the early arrival of our first child. Our son, Benjamin, was born on Monday, 21st July 2025 – a little ahead of schedule, but healthy and thriving. Both Mum and Benjamin are doing very well, and we are incredibly grateful for this gift.
While I’m away, I would like to sincerely thank our school’s Leadership Team, particularly Ms Karlia Ryan and Mrs Tenielle Blanco, for stepping up during this time. Mrs Blanco is currently serving as Acting Principal for the remainder of my leave, and I am confident the school remains in very capable hands.
This term, we also welcome two new staff members to the St Joseph’s community. Miss Imogen Perkins has joined us as the new teacher for Year 6GO, commencing on Monday, 21st July. We also welcome Miss Kirra Naylor, who began at the start of the term and is now teaching Year 5GO. We are thrilled to have both Imogen and Kirra on board and know they will be a wonderful addition to our school community.
Last week, we celebrated NAIDOC Week with a number of special events and visiting guests. A highlight was the performance by the Kalkatungu Sundowners Dance Troupe on Friday. Throughout the week, we were also fortunate to welcome groups such as Deadly Choices to help us honour and celebrate this important time in our calendar. Thank you to all who helped make the week meaningful and memorable for our students.
This week, a note was sent home regarding our school’s participation in the 2025 Mount Isa Rodeo Float Parade. If you have not yet received this, please follow up with your child’s classroom teacher. A big thank you to Mrs Wills and Ms Ryan for their efforts in coordinating our school’s float — we look forward to seeing St Joseph’s represented proudly in the parade.
Looking ahead, families will soon receive an Assessment Calendar outlining upcoming assessments for your child’s class. We understand that life in the West can involve travel or family commitments from time to time, and this calendar is provided to support you in planning ahead. If you know of any absences in advance, we ask that you communicate with your child’s teacher (as well as via compass absentee processes) to help minimise disruption to their learning and assessment. Please note that assessment dates may shift slightly as we respond to student learning needs and school events, and we appreciate your flexibility.
For your information, the Semester 2 2025 School Census will take place on Friday, 1st August. As part of this process, schools are also required to submit data for the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD). If your child is included in this collection, you will have already been informed through meetings and discussions—either this year or in previous years—particularly in relation to their Individual Education Plan (IEP) with their classroom teacher. We encourage all families to read the attached Fact Sheet, which outlines what the NCCD is, its purpose, and how it enables schools to provide appropriate adjustments and support for students.
Wishing you all a positive and productive couple of weeks ahead.
Scott Murray,
Principal
Education In Faith
NAIDOC Week
Last week, our school community came together to celebrate NAIDOC Week with a variety of fun and meaningful activities that honoured the culture, history, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. A special thank you to Deadly Choices for visiting us on Tuesday. Our students had a fantastic time working together to create our very own NAIDOC Week banner, which was proudly unveiled at our whole-school assembly on Friday morning. We concluded our week with a special NAIDOC assembly, which included the presentation of the banner and a performance by the Sundowners Kalkutungu Dancers. Through vibrant dance and storytelling, the Sundowners paid a powerful tribute to culture, strength, and connection to Country. We are so grateful to all who contributed to this important week and helped make NAIDOC Week a meaningful and memorable celebration for our school.
Jangawala
A big thank you to our families who continue to assist with serving and cooking for Jangawala. We could not contribute to this important Parish initiative without you. Please see the dates below for the remainder of the year. If you are interested in helping or would like more information, please contact me at tblanco1@sjmtsv.catholic.edu.au
Catholic Education Week
Next week, we will be celebrating Catholic Education Week as well as 40 years of Catholic Education at St Joseph’s on this site. This annual event is an opportunity for all 313 Catholic schools in Queensland to celebrate and promote their distinctive mission and ethos. Catholic education strives to make a difference in the lives of those in our schools and in the wider community by challenging young people to live out the message of Jesus and to reach their full potential as compassionate, contributing, life-giving members of society. The theme for this year’s Catholic Education Week is ‘Communities of Faith, Hope, Love’.
As a school, we will celebrate with activities each day. On Wednesday, our school will also host a combined school Catholic Education Week Mass, which will be held in the Penola Centre.
Grandparents Day
The Feast Day of Saints Joachim and Anne (Grandparents of Jesus) occur this weekend. As such, we will be celebrating ‘Grandparents Day’ this Friday, July 25th. On this day, we would like to invite all of our wonderful Grandparents and Grandparent-like figures to attend our special liturgy during assembly. Classrooms will also be open after assembly so students can show their grandparents all the amazing work they have been doing so far this term.
Assembly
Please see below some upcoming events as well as changes to assemblies this term.
Upcoming Events
- Monday 28th July to Friday 1st August - Catholic Education Week
- Wednesday 30th July - Combines Schools CEW Mass
- Saturday 26th July - Feast Day for Saints Joachim & Anne (we will celebrate this on Friday 25th July)
- Thursday 7th August -St Mary of the Cross MacKillop Feast Day celebrations
Teneille Blanco,
APRE
Foundations In Education
LAST CHANCE for ICAS Testing for 2025!
We’re excited to announce that ICAS Testing will once again be offered at St Joseph’s in 2025 for students in Years 2–6.
The ICAS Assessments are world-renowned, online academic competitions designed to assess students’ higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills in the areas of English, Mathematics, Science, Writing, Spelling Bee, and Digital Technologies. These assessments celebrate student achievement and provide valuable opportunities for recognition and academic growth.
Every student who participates will receive a printed certificate and an online results report.
How to Register:
To register your child for ICAS this year:
- Learn more about the ICAS subjects and pricing: ICAS Assessments Information
- Visit the Parent Portal: ICAS Parent Portal
- Enter our school’s access code: DNE584
- Provide your child’s details, select the assessments you wish to purchase, and proceed to payment. Please note: All registrations and payments must be completed online. The school is unable to accept payments.
- Return the attached permission slip to the school office by Monday 28th July.
To review the full terms and conditions, visit: ICAS Terms and Conditions
Testing Information:
All ICAS assessments at St Joseph’s will be held in the San Jose Library starting at 7:30am.
We are proud to offer this opportunity to our students and look forward to celebrating their achievements later in the year. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
LAST CHANCE to Register - Free Prep Vision Screening
A Registered Nurse will be visiting our school again on Thursday 7th August 2025 to conduct vision screening for children in Prep. If you wish to have your Prep child participate in this FREE vision screening program, please complete consent forms by 6th August.
Inquisitive: Supporting Quality HASS Curriculum Delivery
Teachers across our school are continuing to engage with the Inquisitive Quality Curriculum Prep to 6, a structured, inquiry-based resource aligned to Version 9 of the Australian Curriculum. Designed to support the HASS learning area, including History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship, and Economics and Business. Inquisitive provides scaffolded lesson sequences and differentiated tasks that cater to diverse learners.
The resource is designed to promote deep thinking and understanding, while equipping students with critical research and inquiry skills. It is also resourced with high-quality visuals, source materials, and assessment tools, helping to create engaging and consistent learning experiences across Prep to Year 6.
NAPLAN 2025 - Year 3 & 5 Student Results
This week, students in Year 3 and Year 5 will be bringing home their 2025 NAPLAN results. These reports provide valuable insight into each student’s progress in literacy and numeracy, and are one of the tools we use to support and extend learning.
We encourage parents and carers to read through the results with their child, celebrating their individual growth and effort.
We are incredibly proud of the effort and achievement shown by our students in this year’s NAPLAN. Their positive attitude and commitment reflect the values of our school motto:
Love, Learn, Serve.
As a school community, we will now use this data to help guide our next steps in teaching and planning, ensuring that every student continues to be supported, challenged, and inspired on their learning journey
Karlia Ryan,
APPL
In The Classroom...
Prep recently celebrated a very exciting milestone, 100 Days of Prep! Students took part in fun activities all about the number 100, dressed up as 100-year-olds, and reflected on how much they’ve grown since the start of the year. It was a joyful celebration of learning, friendship, and just how far they’ve come in their first year of school!
Prep has been learning all about Australian animals, with a special focus on the wombat! As part of our learning, students created their own version of Wombat Stew. We also celebrated culture and connection to Country by cooking and tasting cabbage stew, tying it into our NAIDOC Week celebrations. This was a wonderful opportunity for students to explore traditional bush foods and reflect on the importance of sharing stories and meals together.
In The Library...
Library News
We’re excited to be heading into a busy and book-filled few weeks here at St Joseph’s!
Looking ahead, Book Week 2025 is coming up in Week 6, and we can’t wait to celebrate. We’ll be holding our traditional Book Week Parade on Friday, where students are invited to come dressed as their favourite book characters. After the parade, we'll stay as a whole school in Penola, where each cohort will contribute to a collaborative book-themed artwork to create a colourful display around the school. Parents and carers are warmly welcome—and encouraged—to join us for the celebration.
We’ll also be announcing the winners of the Joey’s Own CBCA Shortlist, with students voting for their favourite shortlisted titles. Everyone who votes goes into the draw to win one of our Book Week packs. It’s a highlight of our Library year, and we’re looking forward to celebrating together once again. To get into the spirit, here’s a little blast from the past with some of our costumes from Book Weeks gone by!
We’re also looking for a little help from our wonderful parent community. We’ve got a lovely selection of new books ready for the shelves—but they need to be covered first. If you’ve got a little time (and a little patience), we’d love your help! There’s no need to come in—we can send home a Book Covering Pack so you can work your magic from the comfort of your own couch. It’s a great way to support the library—and maybe sneak a peek at what your kids are reading too! We even have a 'How To' video to share with you if you need.
If you’re keen to help, please get in touch with Mrs Stretton in the library.
Thank you! mstretton@sjmtsv.
School News
Finance
School Fees
Term 3 fee statements were issued on Monday, July 21st, 2025. The due date for fee payment is August 22nd, 2025.
If you already have a payment plan or Direct Debit set up, this statement is for your information only.
If you would like to set up a PayWay Direct Debit for the remainder of 2025, please contact the school office at 4743 4303.
Administration
Contact Details
If there has been a change of circumstances during the school year, we encourage families to contact the school to update their records. Changes may include:
Emergency contacts for your children (up to three people)
New email address
New phone number
New home or postal address
Change of name - legal documentation may need to be supplied (parent or student)
Siblings change of school (ie - older sibling attending GSCC / Spinifex SS)
Custodial arrangements/ court orders - legal documentation will need to be supplied
Updated Visa documentation
Religious Milestones - (ie -Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist, Confirmation)
Medical updates including family doctors, medication, recurring illness, updated action plans, diagnosis and verifications ect
Keeping your information up to date helps us stay in touch with you effectively.
Community News
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